Do It Now or Lose Him Later
by Chikuma Kanagaki
Summary: "I don't want to lose him! I don't care whether I deserve him or not. He is mine and I'll get him back no matter what! And you are going to help me! Or else!"
1. Chapter 1

Well... Yeah. Here it is and here I am throwing my story up in the open to be judged. I'm not afraid of any flames of course, but it doesn't mean I'm not concerned about it. But hey... I won't grow up and become a better writer without a bit rough experience, will I?!

So I am all open to any kind of response, feel free to stuff my face with it. #Trembling

As usual, you know I'm not own hunger games. It does belong to Mrs. Suzanne Collins. She it the AWESOME one #Grinning

Anyway, thanks for being a HG fan and stumbling upon my story! Now… Enjoy! Cheers...

* * *

I'm brushing my teeth when I hear my bed room's door closed with a thud.

"Katniss, are you in there?" Peeta asks.

"Yes, I'll be there in a minute."

I spit the toothpaste foam into the sink and gargle to clean my mouth. I put on my pajamas and step out from the bathroom. Peeta sits on my bed; observing a little notebook in his right hand closely.

"You are late, have you eaten yet?"

He raises his head to see me, smiling. "I'm sorry, there are a lot of things to take care of and before I realize its dinner time already so Mr. Keel invited me to join their dinner, it won't happen again."

"No, it's alright. I understand," I climb the bed and take my place beside Peeta; he encircles his left arm around me. "Is everything running smoothly?"

"Yes, it is. If everything goes on schedule, by the end of this month Mellark bakery will get back into business once again."

"So you'll busy all the time then?"

"Not all the time, I'll employ someone. So after I bake all batches for sales, I'll free," Peeta puts his notebook on the nightstand and looks into my eyes. "You'll be busy hunting in the woods; you won't even realize my time away."

"I know, I'm not whining or anything," I hold his gaze." I bet your bakery will be crowded with customers all the time, you are the best baker I have ever known. No-one can beat you cheese buns."

"I hope so," Peeta chuckles.

Suddenly my heart skips a beat; I never know he can look so handsome when he chuckles. It's not that I never saw him chuckle before; I had, but not in this close range.

His blue eyes sparkling with joy when he does. His lips rise slightly, exposing a line of white teeth. Seeing his face looks so fresh and alive somehow fills me with happiness, with hope.

Before I can register what happened, I lean over and kiss him deeply. Our very first kiss after the end of the rebellion two years ago.

I feel it again, the same hunger I felt in the arenas and I want more. I need more. Nothing will interrupt us now as Peeta and I covered safely by my bedroom's walls.

I feel warm. Starting in my chest and spread across my body slowly, from toes to head.

My hands move around his upper body, his broad chest, his neck, his cheek and finally clutching his curly blonde hair tightly. My body moves closer until it brushes up against his.

I let go to get some air and gaze in his eyes, awe with the overwhelming joy I experienced just by kissing him. As I start to lean over again, Peeta takes my face in his hand and kiss my forehead gently.

"I better go," Peeta says.

"What?! Why?" I ask, bewildered.

"I just remember something," Peeta opens the door. "Go ahead and sleep, I don't think I'll be back soon. Good night, Katniss."

And with that he closes the door, leaving me alone. Confuse and taken aback.

* * *

Ha-ha. It's done. Hope you ENJOY it, furthermore LIKE it or better LOVE it! #SquealExcitedly

Either, neither; thanks for reading it, folks. Mean a lot to me. Stay around, okay. I'd love to know that you'll stay around.

See you soon... #BearHug #KissesOnTheForehead


	2. Chapter 2

New chapter is here! #DanceOnCircle

Oh… I love this chapter so much! Especially the ending, well _definitely_ the ending!

Let's see if you feel the same way, shall we? Oh… and you'll get to know a bit about one of my characters, yes mine! You have no idea how proud I am to call him mine #GrinningProudly

Then, I chikuma Kanagaki proudly present to you the new chapter… Enjoy!

* * *

The sun is about to rise. I prop myself against the hard trunk, looking up into the sky and sigh. I've been out in the woods for three hours and still have nothing to show off for. Not that I care, since I'm not going into the wood to hunt in the first place.

It has been two weeks since that night and even though it drives me crazy to talk about what really happened that night, Peeta never brought it up to discuss and I don't dare to.

No, can't do. _I don't talk about feeling_, at least someone has set it on the table first and tries to stuff my face with it. No. I don't talk about it, _I think about it_. A lot. Even though I never got the right answer after any of it, I just usually end up with a headache and confused more than before I try to sort it out. I'm helpless.

But still I didn't sleep that night not only because I can't block any nightmares without Peeta but also because I stupidly trying to understand the reason, even as I knew already, in the end I ended up with nothing.

It's not like he pushed me away in the first place, he responded to it the way he always did, gentle but firm. He didn't go rigid as if he got an episode either, he enjoyed it, and as much as I did I believe. But, suddenly he just…

I guess he just too shocked by it as I did.

A lot of things happen between us after we came back to twelve. Working on the book, keeping our broken mind together, holding on to each other for sanity, embracing each other to ward away nightmares. Mend our relationship; growing back together, but no real romance yet until that kiss...

Why did I kiss him again?! I must be crazy. Yes he treats me with affection, but that doesn't mean he still loves me. He never said that he still loves me. He is just being nice. Being helpful. Since we just have each other to lean on, there is no other choice. As Haymitch, well… not so much to lean on.

And… I _never_ love him that way, romantically I mean. Of course I care about him, a lot and I do _need_ him. He is my anchor after all.

Is that really all? Is that the only way I want him to be, as my anchor? Then why did I feel that way when we kissed? Do I finally love him the way he did, before the hijacking?

But I don't want; I don't _need_ that kind of relationship. The last time I lost him is horrible enough; I won't survive things like that ever again. Even though I don't lose him and I can keep him by my side; romance always leads to family, to children…

No. I _don't_ love him that way. I do need him. I want him. He is my a_lly. _The only one that will stay by my side, because we've been through so much together.

We survive together. We help each other back to their feet whenever they fall to their knees, we understand each other, we owe each other, we completed each other… we are _compatible_.

Ouch… thinking too much is hurt. It's not like I have to figure out the kiss anyway. Peeta said nothing about it. He doesn't treat me any differently either, he still come to eat and sleep at my place. His smile still warm and calming. Nothing is change, so that's it. It happened and that's it, no use to over think it. It won't do us any good.

"That's it," I mutter as I climb down the tree and walk back toward victor village. "Enough is enough."

Today is Peeta's bakery opening day. He has worked very hard for it for months; still there is so much to do. I better go home; he'll need every helping hand he can get.

"Back already? I thought I won't catch you before my shift ended," Kayle, the safeguard of one of twelve's gates, greets me as he opens the gate for me. "And yet, here you are right as my shift end."

He is a tall and sturdy young man with long auburn-colored hair that tied into simple horsetail behind his head. Not an original twelve, he came to twelve six months ago and just like Peeta, You can't ever blew him away. Kay is a very nice and polite guy; you'll have a lot of fun with him around.

No wonder Kay become Peeta's friend in an instant, they have so much in common and ever since the very first time he took a bite of Peeta's almond and peanut bread, he never get over the delicious taste. He is the very reason Mellark Bakery will be up and run once again.

I never really thought about it, but I consider him as a friend too. I don't have a lot of friend and when I did have, she blown up by capitol bomb and he blown my sister up in the capitol. So much for being my friend.

"You know I won't come home late today,"

"No, of course not. But don't you come home too little too empty-handed," Kay smirks. "Are you afraid nobody would touch your game today, Kat?"

I laugh. "Yeah, like you'll refuse my fresh-baked squirrel combine with Peeta's fresh loaf and Haymitch's apple sauce."

"Whoa… I won't dare to refuse such feast. I'll be shamed."

"No, I don't think you would."

We laugh as we walk back toward town square.

"I'll walk you back to the victor village, Peeta gonna need some help with stuff."

"Won't you need some sleep first, Kay?"

"Nope, can't do. He gonna need me, his best man, on a big day like today."

"Really?! Don't you just want to have the first bite of every thing Peeta baked," I chuckle.

"Who?! Me?! Wow… that's hurt Miss Everdeen, but you hit the jackpot," He laughs as I roll my eyes. Like I said, you'll have _a lot of fun_ with him around.

We almost reach Peeta's house when the door open and a beautiful red-haired girl walk out the door followed by Peeta. I watch as they say their good-bye and before I could even brace myself for it, the girl tiptoeing and kiss Peeta.

* * *

So… Do you feel the same way? Do you like the chapter and love the ending? Ha-ha I knew it!

Stay around, gorgeous! You'll never know what is going to come up next, cause neither do I #Chuckles


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